CZ 452 Varmint Free Float results

horseman2

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After collecting Free Float information on RimfireCentral, these are the three best groups using Fiocchi, Gold Medal, and CCI (all standard velocity).

CZ452GoldMedalat50m.jpg


CZ452Fiocchi1850m.jpg


CZ452CCI50m.jpg


CZ 452 Varmint 22LR accurizing tips.

Free float the barrel from the Lug forward so that a thickness of 2 business cards or 2 strips cut from a file folder will freely slide between the barrel and stock back to the barrel lug. The easiest way to accomplish this is to use deep well socket and 80 grit sand paper.

When finished, seal the wood with a finish like tung oil, polyurethane or something similar. Give it 2 or 3 coats letting dry between coats.

Next is the barrel lug. The lug slides freely in a dovetail on the bottom of the barrel.
Remove it and take it to the hardware store with you. Get a metric socket head (allen head) set screw that is short in length. We will use this to secure the lug to the barrel. (See #1 later where a M6x6 is recommended, and that is what I used).

Now thread the set screw into the lug but do not tighten it yet.

Put the action and lug into the stock. Screw the action screw into the lug just a little and also finger tighten the rear action screw.

Now using the front screw center the lug in the stock hole. Remove the screw and tighten the set screw this will secure the lug in the dovetail. (Later See #2, it is recommended to 2 business cards on each side about ¾’s along the barrel).

Next, you do NOT want the action screw to touch the set screw in the lug.
So to check that put a drop of fingernail polish on the end of the stock/lug screw, let dry and then thread into lug and tighten. Remove the screw and look at the fingernail polish. If it touched the set screw the fingernail polish will be marred or have marks on it. If it touched you will need to grind or file 1 or 2 threads off the screw to shorten it.

I have found that my CZ’s shoot the best with 24 inch lbs of torque on both the front and rear action screws, yours may vary. (Take your torque ratchet to the range).

Start at about 18 in lbs and shoot some 5 shot groups and try different settings until you get to the “Sweet Spot”. Good luck and have fun!

Recumbent (Bob) from Rimfire Central

#1: Better safe than sorry. This is an easy one though so don’t worry about it. You just need to get a M6x6 set screw. You really don't even need to take the barreled receiver out of the stock to do this. It is simpler with the gun all together. Just remove the front screw, thread the set screw in the same hole the original screw came out of and then screw the original screw in. On mine once I had the set screw in place and tightened down I ran the original screw into the stock all the way I could. Then I unscrewed it and saw how many turns it took until it was unscrewed and could be removed. Then I took the barreled receiver out of the stock and screwed the front screw into the front lug. (Think of screwing it back in place but this time just no stock present) Then I saw how many turns I had from all the way in touching the set screw until it was no longer threaded into the lug. Since I had an extra full rotation and a half without the stock I know I have a little clearance between my set screw and the original. This does the same thing as the nail polish but you don't have to wait for it to dry. From the time the screw was into the threads and touched the set screw was 5 ½ revolutions. With the stock in place, the screw was tight at 4 revolutions.

#2:
Before you tighten the set screw, place a couple business cards (or similar) between the stock and barrel (3/4th the way around or on each side) to center the barrel in the channel. And, the set screw doesn't have to be real tight to hold the lug in place -- you don't want to deform the barrel.
While you're purchasing the metric set screw, get a set of metric allen wrenches (my set screw took a 3 mm allen wrench).

When I started, the 80 grit sandpaper was slow as the Turkish Walnut was hard. You will want to stay ½ inch back from the hole in the stock the lug fits into. In order to do this, I found the size of 13 mm deep socket appeared to be the right diameter. Wrap duct tape ½ to 5/8’s around the socket leaving ½ inch of the open end of the socket bare, sticky side to the socket, and cut this piece of duct tape leaving one inch of tape free. Now stick the second piece of duct tape to the free tag end, and make one full wrap of the socket, sticky side up. Cut a piece of sandpaper (120 or 150 grit) the width of the duct tape and long enough to make one full wrap of the socket. 80 grit might be too hard to wrap evenly and may remove wood too quickly. Place a 10” extension into the socket, and use a drill with a 3/8 inch socket attachment. In order to maintain the ½ inch space between the lug opening place a dowel or another socket of the right diameter into the lug opening. Do not rotate the socket too fast, and rotate it in the same direction as the sandpaper is wrapped. You can now work from the point ½ inch from the lug hole forward (or backwards) to the muzzle end of the stock.
 
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Floating the barrel means sanding out the fore stock so that the stock is not touching the barrel. Most people like to be able to slide a business card in between the stock and the barrel. If it is not done it will change POI slightly because humidity will change the stock a bit (which is touching the barrel at that time). Not sure about taking the front lug out.
Most people find their gun shoots best when free floated but try it with and without and see which one works best (if it works better with it touching the stock and you have already sanded the channel out try just putting a pressure pad of some sort in.
 
Good info! I like the Rimfirecentral forum a great deal for things like this. Lots of good tips for CZ's and lots of other models.

Thanks for reposting it here. I've been meaning to do this to my 452 too.
 
I just finished those exact mods as well, except I sanded out the channel to the thickness of 1 business card. Will report tomorrow with some results!

As a side note, I had one hell of a time finding a store that would sell me 1 metric set screw. They all sold them by the hundred. Turn out, I had to ask my mother who lives in the states to pick one up at ACE hardware and ship it to me ....took almost 3 weeks! lol
 
Hi, I have a similar question about the set screw, I read it as one screw lug to barrel and one screw stock to lug - screws not touching in the lug which would seem to isolate barrel from lug / act as pillar.

What did you do for trigger job - the Brooks kit? Which springs? I first want to see what the adjustment on the 452 will do but from what I read and the cost the brooks kit seems a no brainer. Can you get mom to mail one to me as well? (j/k)

Cheers
 
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I don't know the theory to the set screw.
The best group I had prior to the free float was .37 with CCI Standard Velocity. You can see in the pictures the amount of wood taken out, and it appears the same diameter was used from the lug to the foreend of the stock. There is probably some merit to consistent inch pounds on the screws. I am somewhere between 23 and 24 as my ratchet has 15 settings between 0 and 25. I used the heaviest spring from the Brooks kit as I wanted 2 pounds for Silhouette.
 
Not without taking it apart. I want to test it further, and after a few more trips to the range may take it apart to check the bedding.

For now, when you have the stock and barrel separate, see what size of socket will fit into the lug hole in the stock.

As to securing the lug with the set screw that presents a very tight area to photograph. Once the set screw is in the lug and snug against the barrel run the lug screw in until it contacts the set screw, counting the revolutions as you proceed (I had 5 1/2 revolutions). When you are ready to attach the stock to the barrel, the set screw should not be snug to the barrel. At this stage, the two cards should be set in on each side of the barrel which centres the barrel in the stock. Now snug the set screw against the barrel. Now start the barrel screw and once you have the screw started into the threads start counting the revolutions to tight. Mine took 4 revolutions so there was 1 1/2 threads between the screw and the set screw. Now you can use your torque wrench to set something under 24 inch pounds.

If this does not help, send me your phone number via PM and when you would be available for a call. It took me a couple of reads and a few tries before it made sense.

Mel
 
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